Oil or air operated crossing signal



. Fune 10, 1924. 1,497,335

E. A. KENNEDY OIL OR AIR OPERATED CRQSSING SIGNAL Filed March 1, 192- -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. A. KENNEDY,

OIL OR AIR'OPERATED CROSSING SIGNAL June 10 Filed lylarch 1 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmwnl oz Wk m Patented June 10, 1924.

UNITED" STATES PATENT ore-ion" EUGENE A. KENNEDY, or LEXINGTON, ILLINOIS.

OIL R AIRI OPERATED CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,270.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, EUGENE A. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of McLean and State, of Illinois, have invented certain new andgusetul- Improvements in Oilor Air Operated Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to oil orair operated crossing signal, structures and it consistslin the novelteatures hereinafter describedgand claimed. 1

An object of the invention is to provide as; crossing signal structure in which the parts are. moved by oil or air which is confii'iedv in a pressure tank, there being means provided and operated by a passingtrain for pumping the oil or air into the pressure tank. A. return or reservoir tank is provided in the system and after the oil or air has been-utilized for operating the signal, it1ispumped by the passing train into the said reservoir tank. I I I A further object of the invention is to provide in a-signalstructure, a post adapted to, support the signal proper and within which compartments are provided and which constitute the pressure. and reservoir tank, for the storage, distribution and application; ofthe oil or air.

In the accompanying drawings I Fig'urejl is a top plan view of the crossee s Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same. .Figuife 8 is anenlar'ged fragmentary sec tional view of the signal post and signal per. se of the signal structure. I I I -Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational Vi w of the post. I

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of a pump mechanism used in the signal structure for returning the oil or air to the reservoirgtank. I I

Figure 6' is a transverse sectional viewot thepump mechanism shown in Figure 5 and out on'a plane at a right angle to the plane of'the section upon which Figure 5 is-taken. Figure 7 is, a transverse sectional view of a pump mechanism used in the crossing signa l structure for passing the oil or air from the'reservoir tank to the pressure tank.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the railroadtrack is indicated at 1 and the vehicle crossing at 2. I The signal comprises a post 3 which is erected at the side of the track 1 and at the edge of the road.- way 2 and which is provided at its upper portion with spaced plates 4 mounted upon pivoted levers 5. I A sign plate 6 is mounted between the plates 4 and in the position where the legend upon the plate 6 is normally concealed by the plates 4. A cylinder 7 is mounted upon the upper portion 3 and a piston isslidably mounted in the-cylin der 7. The piston 8 isprovided with a an. tively small opening 7 passing transversely therethrough. A pipe 9, is ,connected at, its upper end the cylinder 7. at a point above I the upper surface oi.- the piston 8. The lower end of the pipe 9 is connected with the lower portion of the pressure chamber 9 provided inthe upper end of the, post 3. pipe 10 is connected with the lower portion of the tank chamber 9' and-is pro vided with a section disposed ilitei' iorly of the post 3 and having a check valve 10. At a pointbelow the chamber tank 9, the pipe 10 enters the post 3 ana extends downwardly toward the lower end thereof and is connected with a pump casingll located at the side of onset the rails of the track 1. A reservoir tank or chamber 12 isprovided within the post?) at a point below the pressure chamber 9 and a pipe iaccmmr icateswith the upper portion ofthecn'amher 12. Atits lower end, the pipe 13 communicates with the pump casings 14 which are located one at eachide of thepost 3 and in the vicinity ofone oftherail's of the track .1. The pump casing 14 and the parts carried therein are alike. and will he de scribed in detail;hereinafter. pipe 15 communicates with thebottom otthe chamber 12. and passes-down to the post 1 and connects at its lower end with the pump casing .11 herebefore referred to. The pipe 5 15 is provided with a check valve 15.

A pipe. 16 connectsthe lowerend of the cylinder 7 with thepump casings 14.

Assuming that a train is approaching the signal post 3 and coming in the direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. a trip,-hereinafter.to be described. and which carried by ,thetrain, actuates the pump 14 whereby the oilor air is forced through the pipe 13 into the chamber 12 at the same time the pump 14 draws the oil or air through the pipe 16 from the cylinder 7 whereby the piston 8 begins to Inovein a downward direction in the said cylinder.

In that the piston 8 is connected with the levers 5, the said levers 5 are swung whereby the plates 1 are lifted above the signal plate 6 and consequently a danger signal is displayed at the crossing. .From the chamber 12, the oil, or air passes through the pipe 15 and through the check valve 15 and enters the pipe 10. The oil or air moves past the check valves 10 in the pipe 10 and enters the pressure tank or chamber 9. From the tank or, chamber 9, the oil or air is forced through the pipe 9 into the upper portion of the cylinder 7 and consequently pressure is applied to the upper surface of the piston 8 and the said piston is caused tomove promptly in a downward direction in the cylinder 7. The oil or air iu the cylinder 7 and above the piston .8 may pass in a fine stream through the opening 7 in the piston 8 and enter the lower portion of the cylinder 7 and pass through the pipe 16 as hereinbefore described.

"When the train arrives at the pump casing 11, the said pump is actuated whereby the oil or air is withdrawn from the pipe 10 and is passed into the chamber 12 and from the said chamber 12 may flowthrough the pipe 13 back to the pump casings 1 1. Thus the supply of oil or air through the pipe 9 and from the chamber 9 is cut off and as the oil or air in the upper portion of the cylinder 7 passes through the opening 7 in the piston 8., the said piston S will move toward the upper end of the cylinder 7 whereby the. plates 4; are lowered over the plate 6 and the danger signal sign is concealed.

The pump mechanism 11. comprises a cylinder 12 which is connected with the pipe sections 15 and 10 as shown in Figure 7, and the sections of the said pipe are.provided with check-valves 13 and 13 located adjacent the end of the cylinder 12. A piston 1 1 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 12. A piston rod 15" is connected'at one end with the piston 14 and at its other end with the lower end portion of a ramp 16 which is pivotally mounted at the side of one tof the track rails 1 as shown in Figure 7. 50 i The ramp lever 16' v is provided with a head 17' which is disposed at the side of the rail 1. A spring 18 is connected at one end with the lower portion of the ramp 16 and at its other end with the casing 11 which receives the lower portion of the ramp and the spring 18 is under tension with a tendency to hold the head 17 of the ramp 16 adjacent the side of the head of the rail.

As the train passes over the track 1, the flanges of each wheel of the train will come in contact with the head 17 of the ramp 16 and force the said head 17 outwardly with relation to the track 1. The spring 18 returns the head 17 to its normal position after having been encountered by the tireof each wheel of the train. This movement on the part of the ramp lever 16 reciprocates the piston 14 in the cylinder 12 and the oil or air is pumped as hereinbefore described.

The casings 14 are located at points relatively remote from the roadway 2 and at the side or the track 1 a valve 21 is mounted upon the end of the pipe 13 and its stem 22 is connected with one end portion of an arm or lever 23 which is pivoted in the casing 14.

The main stem of the lever 23 extends through the top of the casing and is disposed transversely across a stop member 24; which is mounted upon one of the rails of the track 1. A section 25 is pivotally connected with the upper end of the lever 23 by means of a rule joint 26 and the said section 25 is normally held in longitudinal alinement with the lever 23 by a spring 27 which is disposed across the pivot of the joint between the section 25 and the lever 23 as best shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. A. cylinder 28 depends from the bottom of the casing 141 and a piston 29 is slidably mounted in said cylinder. The piston 29 is provided with a relatively small opening 30 which passes transversely through the said piston. The piston 29 is connected with an arm of the lever 23 by means of a rod 31; A lug 32 is mounted upon the pilot 33 of the locomotive which is adapted to travel over the track 1 and the section 25 of the lever 23 is disposed transversely across the path of movement of the lug 32.

Therefore when the locomotive carrying the pilot 33 approaches the section 25 of the lever 23, the lug 32 strikes the edge of the section 25 and swings the lever 23 in a direction away from the stop 24. Therefore the upper end of the section 25 isswung downwardly and forwardly and in the direction in which the train is moving. A spring 34: is connected at one end with the lower portion of the lever 23 and at its other end with the casing 14: and as soon as the lug 32 clears the upper end of the section 25, the tension of the spring 34 comes into play and begins to return the lever 23 to its normal position as shown in Figure 6. On the forward and downward swinging of the lever 23 the piston 29 is lowered in the cylinder 28 and the oil or air which is in the bottom of the cylinder passes through the opening in the piston and enters the upper portion of the cylinder 28. In that the piston 29 is forced in a downward direction under the force of impact between the lug 32 and the section 25 of the lever 23, the piston 25 is moved in a downward direction quickly, but inasmuch as the opening 30 is a small one, the volume of oil or air which accumulates in the upper portion of the cylinder 28 prevents the piston 29 from moving in an upward direction quickly.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A crossing signal comprising a post provided with a reservoir chamber tank and a pressure chamber tank, a signal mounted upon the post, a cylinder mounted upon the post, a piston mounted in the cylinder and operatively connected with the signal, said piston having an opening passing trans versely therethrough, a pipe connecting the pressure tank compartment of the post with the cylinder at a point above the piston, a ramp operated pump connected with the lower end of the cylinder for withdrawing fluid pressure from the cylinder, pipe con- 'nections connecting theramp operated pump with the reservoir chamber, and pipeconnections between the reservoir chamber and the pressure chamber.

2. A crossing signal comprising a post having a pressure tank compartment and a reservoir tank compartment, a signal mounted upon the post, a cylinder mounted upon the post, a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder and connected with the signal, a pipe connecting the pressure tank compartment with the cylinder at a point above the piston, a ramp operated pump connected with the lower portion of the cylinder for withdrawing fluid from the same, pipe connections between the ramp operated pump and the reservoir tank and between the reservoir tank and the pressure tank, and a ramp operated pump connected with the pipe connections between the reservoir tank and the pressure tank.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EUGENE A. KENNEDY. 

